Tag: morris dancing

As regular readers will know, I have recently taken up Morris dancing – it’s huge fun, but I still don’t feel I’m very good at it, so I was a bit “ohmigod” when I realised I’d be part of Rackaback’s first dance out last Sunday!

There was a bit of a mad scurry to find suitable trousers (Tesco – I know, I know, but I was in a hurry), a top hat (£6.79 from Mascerade, and Pete manfully cycled over to Holderness Road to fetch it for me), suitable trimmings, and purple socks; the fabulous Boyes obliged with the latter two – they have a fine selection of ribbons and feathers, and I also bought some splendid purple and black stripy socks there for the princely sum of £1.25.

I perpetrated the minimum of stitching required to affix the plaited ribbon to the hat, and discovered, thankfully, that the trousers would tuck into the socks, so no elasticifcation required.

On the Sunday, Pete and I set off for the Minerva, a waterside pub in Hull, where we did a dance out with some Lincoln Broadsword chaps, and great fun it was too, even if the wind did blow, and the rain did rain a bit. I really enjoyed it, but realised that black trainers Simply Won’t Do, so I’ve bought some second hand Doc Martens on eBay – nobody in their right mind would buy new Docs, as they are a right bugger to wear in.

Pete has been suffering from A Lurgy, so we weren’t sure whether our planned day out to Lincoln’s Day of (Morris) Dance would come to pass, but he felt OK providing he didn’t have to drive, so off we went.

I love Lincoln – I love all mediaeval cities like Norwich, Chichester, Salisbury, York etc. We’ve only visited once, but it’s going to be somewhere we go regularly, I’m sure. Quite possibly in a fortnight, as there’s a bird of prey display at the Castle, and we found someone who can mend our barometer too!

We gawked in the expensive shops – I fell completely in love with a handbag in a lovely shop where they didn’t seem to mind a bit that I couldn’t afford it, but just brought out different colours for me to try 🙂 We had tea from bone china cups in a little tea room, toiled up and down the hills, decided once again to leave the Castle for another day (see above), and spent quite a bit of time at the Lion and Snake, watching the dancers, particularly the Raving Maes, who I’m thinking about applying to join (although the costumes are probably a bit young for me!)

We had a distinctly indifferent lunch at the pub, and I may well complain to the chain: 35 minutes to produce a couple of sausage baguettes, with a couple of teaspoons of cold caramelised onions from a jar, no cutlery until after the food arrives, *and* a deep sigh when I asked for salt, does not please me particularly. Nor did the advertised “mayo” – no idea what it was, but mayo it most certainly wasn’t. Nice day out, mind, and we bought a couple of splendid stuffed mushrooms, which are destined for tonight’s supper (nice Mr Butcher was quite happy to keep them for us while we wandered round).

On Sunday, I got up fairly and went for a bike ride – 12.82 miles around the north of the city, to Anlaby Common and thence on to Kirk Ella and West Ella, and home. There are *hills* around there – it’s just on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, and it was hard work, but I did it all, so was dead chuffed (and puffed). Came home and ate bacon and egg and sossidge for breakfast, then constructed a huge vat of goulash, and some molten chocolate puddings, for supper with friends. Very sorry to say that they had to cancel due to ill health, so I hope they’ll be well enough to come and eat with us soon – there was enough goulash to freeze! As it happens, I started coming down with the Lurgy last night, and Pete and I were in bed by 9 p.m., so it may have worked out for the best …